Boudin Bakery Cafe — Restaurant in San Francisco

I recently had the unfortunate experience of dining at Boudin in Pier 39, San Francisco (08/05/23 around 6:00PM), and it left me disappointed and frustrated. Despite the reputation of this establishment, the service I received during my visit was far from satisfactory.

The incident that stood out the most was when I ordered a clam chowder along with a few other items for my family of four. Our plan was to share the clam chowder, as we all wanted to enjoy the dish together. However, the lady who was serving our food was unreasonably unwilling to provide us with four spoons. When I politely requested an extra spoon, she hesitated and only offered three, without any clear explanation.

I attempted to understand the reasoning behind the refusal, but she completely ignored my questions and chose to focus on other tasks instead. Her behavior was not only rude but also made me feel invisible and unimportant as a customer.

To my surprise, when I kept repeating the question, another lady who seemed like a supervisor came from inside and promptly gave us an extra spoon without even asking any further questions. The stark contrast in their attitudes left me puzzled and made me wonder how the management could employ people with such inconsistent levels of customer service.

I firmly believe that food should be served with love and warmth, but my expectations were clearly too high for this particular staff member. Nevertheless, I believe that every customer deserves respect and courteous treatment, regardless of the circumstances.

While I understand that everyone has bad days, a basic level of professionalism and politeness should always be upheld, especially in the service industry. Treating customers with an arrogant attitude is simply unacceptable and tarnishes the reputation of the establishment.

In conclusion, my dining experience at Boudin in Pier 39 was marred by the disrespectful and unhelpful behavior of one of their staff members. The lack of consideration and courtesy overshadowed what could have been an enjoyable family meal. I hope that the management takes this feedback seriously and ensures that such incidents do not repeat in the future.

I would be hesitant to return to Boudin given this negative experience, and I certainly cannot recommend it to others...

Horrible experience! Haven't been down here in 20 years and was so looking forward to eating at Boudin. I had a simple order, half a sandwich and clam chowder in a bread bowl for 13.99. When I receive my order the soup is in a paper bowl so I tell the server that it was supposed to be in a bread bowl. She looked at my receipt and says no. I told her yes it was and she says you didn't pay for it. I told her they didn't charge me but that what I ordered. She then tells me I have to go wait back in line to pay the 1.50 for a bread bowl instead of just making it right. So by the time I waited in line and got to the cashier I'd decided I wanted my money back and was told that it would be 2-3 days to get it back. I told them that was unacceptable so they got the manager and he told me the same. So yhe owner came out and I explained that I came all the way from Sacramento and was rudely interrupted with SO. I then continued to tell them that I'm not going to drive all the way back here I'm my money is not returned and to just pay me now. After minutes of deliberations she threatened to call security on me. I replied go ahead, I'm doing nothing wrong and told her at this point you should've just given me the bread bowl instead of making me wait in line again since it was your mistake. She said nothing and then told me I'd get my money back by midnight. Upset about the entire experience I said fiine and left. I'll never githem any business again and neither should you especially since the foid was mediocre and the...

My wife and I came to San Francisco for unique experiences away from Seattle. We gave Budins the opportunity of helping make that expectation come true. Unfortunately, they failed. Not once, but twice. We thought the poor service might have been the individual that we were served by the first time. But the second time the service was just as bad. Neglect, infrequent table visits, smug / I don't care attitude, even somewhat condescending. No thanks. I've had far superior at-table service from chain restaurants like our local Red Robin, BJ's, Applebee's, Olive garden, even Chipotle! Boudin's food was okay, sourdough was great (if a bit stale), but menu was overpriced for it's lack of quality/quantity. So, until management improves server service, best plan is for you to get your bread/meal to go, pay the higher price, get the better bread, ship tipping, and go eat it outside (if it's in the summer) or take it back to your hotel room and have it there. Won't ever be going back again. Their opportunity was lost, their experience added in the "negative column" for a very rare "weekend getaway" trip to SF. Perhaps Boudins is the source behind why the 49ers are arch rivals of the Seahawks. Things that...